Wal-Mart's Vudu Joins Disney's Cloud Movie Service

Los Angeles: Walt Disney Co's cloud-based movie storage service will give customers the ability to add purchases from Vudu, an online store operated by Wal-Mart Stores Inc, a Disney official said on Friday.

Films bought on Vudu will be integrated with the Disney Movies Anywhere service starting on Tuesday, Jamie Voris, Disney Studios' chief technology officer, said at an event where the company highlighted mobile initiatives.

Disney is building the service as studios try to steer movie fans to digital purchases while sales of DVDs decline.

The media company launched Disney Movies Anywhere in February with Apple Inc's iTunes, and this month partnered with the Google Play online store. Customers can buy more than 400 Disney, Pixar and Marvel movies through those retailers and watch them on a variety of Internet-connected TVs, computers and mobile devices.

The addition of Vudu comes on the same day that Disney releases a sing-along version of animated blockbuster 'Frozen' and digital versions of the Marvel hit 'Guardians of the Galaxy'.

Copyright @ Thomson Reuters 2014